Did last night’s win feel like something special? Well, it was because that was the first time the Yankees had won back-to-back games since August 15th!!

Since August 15th, the Yankees have done the following: LWLWLLLWLWLWLLWLLLWLWLWLWW That’s an 11-15 stretch for those of you keeping score at home.

Here’s another stat that sort of sums up everything about this team right now. Last night Michael Kay said that in the Boston series, Derek Jeter was 2-for-2 with runners in scoring position. The rest of the lineup was 0-for-31.

And let’s spend a minute on Derek Jeter. He tied Willie Mays on the career hits list last night. Willie Mays! I don’t normally get wrapped up in individual accomplishments, but that is a brand name he just passed. I wish people would just cool it on the talk of Jeter being able to pass Rose someday, but think about what he could do. With 232 hits he will pass Tris Speaker for fifth on the all-time list. Look at the names that would be ahead of him: Rose, Cobb, Aaron, Musial. That’s it, think about that for a second.

So, the Yankees took 2-of-3 from Boston. It wasn’t easy, but they did it. Now they have the reeling Rays coming to town. If ever there was a time for the Yankees to play small-ball, this is it. I am not normally a fan of that style of play, but Tampa has the third-worst offense in the AL to go with the best pitching in the league. If I were the Yankees, I would think long and hard about dropping some bunts down this weekend.

Nice to see Eduardo Nunez resurface yesterday. With Jeter still hurting and a lefty on the mound tonight, how about a repeat of last night’s lineup? Nunez looked pretty good in the field too.

18 Comments

GregSep 14, 2012 @ 10:17:55

Despite all the hype (and money) that Jeter has received, I’d argue that in some respects baseball fans don’t fully appreciate the magnitude of his accomplishments. And think about this: here is a man who for years was NYC’s most eligible bachelor, yet somehow managed to avoid doing anything foolish to embarrass himself or the organization. How rare is that?

I believe the Yankees hadn’t won two straight since the Texas series. It’s been a long stretch of mediocre baseball.

The Rays are 5-5 in their last 10 games, including winning 2 of 3 against the Yankees, and two of their losses to the Orioles were by one run. I don’t think that qualifies as reeling so much as simply having caught the Orioles at the wrong time.

Hughes has beaten the Orioles and the Red Sox in his last two starts, which is encouraging (although let’s be honest, this is not one of Boston’s better seasons). I am still not entirely comfortable with him in big games, though.

PeterSep 14, 2012 @ 10:27:25

Greg

It’s a great point. You think of all the headlines that Mark Sanchez makes as an example of what Jeter has never done.

I think the problem with Hughes is that our expectations were set that he would turn into an ace. Instead, it looks like he will be a solid #3 guy or possibly a #2, but not an ace. That’s not a bad thing by any means, but I think we all look at that as a disappointment.

GregSep 14, 2012 @ 13:17:25

Peter,

I think our expectations are manipulated by a Yankees team that greatly exaggerates it’s best prospects’ capabilities and by a voracious NYC media that picks up on this and amplifies it. Today’s 24×7 news cycle and the proliferation of new avenues of media (cable TV, web sites etc.) only further intensifies this effect. I believe the Yankees are happy to have this excessive media exposure, as hyping their prospects serves to maximize their leverage during trade talks with other clubs.

I would also argue that our disappointment with free agents stems not so much from the big salaries but rather from the inevitable hype that intrinsically results from such salaries. Of course, hyping free agents excites the fab base, stimulates ticket sales and justifies exorbitant prices.

Going forward, I am going to try to assume that all Yankee prospects (and free agents, too) are over-hyped until they prove otherwise on the field. All this hype almost inevitably leads to unmet expectations and disappointment.

PeterSep 14, 2012 @ 16:03:12

Greg

Very sensible, it would never work for me! I want to believe the hype, however much it leads to disappointment.

On a tangential note.

I keep wondering how the Yankees will actually cut payroll to $189 million in 2014 and still fill those incredibly expensive seats. With A-Rod, Teixeira, Sabathia and Jeter already taking up close to $100 million of payroll alone, it is going to be awfully hard to create a competitive team with the rest of that payroll unless the minor league system takes a huge step forward next year.

GregSep 14, 2012 @ 22:28:15

Peter,

I’ve been wondering the same thing. The test of their commitment to keeping under $189 million will be when and if they start losing lots more ballgames in a year or two, and lots more fans as a result. They’ll have no one to blame but themselves. They’ve got to establish a system that identifies and develops younger players, or the not-so-distant future is going to be bleak. It’s not sustainable to have so much money tied up in big, long-term contracts.

blmeanieSep 15, 2012 @ 09:13:29

curious if they ever divulged how the $189m limit came about? With that limit does the team make a certain amount of profit? With other teams approaching this number with all these obscene contracts being handed out in recent years you would think the Yankees would remain 20-50% higher than most high spenders.

AndySep 15, 2012 @ 10:51:41

When Mike Francesa isn’t sleeping (or lying about sleeping), he sometimes brings up interesting discussions. Like: is Jeter a top 5 Yankee?

Thoughts?

PeterSep 15, 2012 @ 12:06:26

Greg

Amen

PeterSep 15, 2012 @ 12:10:42

BL

The $189-million threshold is part of the new CBA. If the Yankees are below it in 2014 they basically save $50 million between luxury taxes and penalties and they reset their luxury tax threshold which saves them money in the future.

PeterSep 15, 2012 @ 12:16:33

Andy

First off, you listen to Francesca?

Secondly, that’s a tough question. I would list him 7th.

Gehrig, Ruth, DiMaggio, Berra, Mantle, Rivera, Jeter

blmeanieSep 15, 2012 @ 13:38:23

Gehrig over Ruth? wow

who is 8th, just curious?

PeterSep 15, 2012 @ 16:11:29

Well it’s certainly debatable but I figure Lou has the edge on defense and was probably a better teammate.

8th would probably be Whitey Ford.

CoreySep 16, 2012 @ 21:44:53

You’ve got to be kidding me with your all time rankings. In terms of carrying the team and being a great teammate, the top 3 are:

But, how can you put a guy who only played 850 games as a Yankee 7th? And how can you put him ahead of Ford or Rivera?

And I think if you take this out to top-20 you have to consider guys like Combs, Randolph, and Lazzeri on offense and Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomez for the pitching staff. Pettitte might also merit a place on the list.

I’m also unsure about DiMaggio being a great teammate. By most accounts he was a jerk and by not calling for that ball soon enough in 1951 he caused Mantle to tear up his knee.

CoreySep 17, 2012 @ 10:04:31

It’s a fun exercise. Re Maris, I got to see him play a little bit and he was a terrific all around ballplayer. He provided the missing piece that helped the Yanks win 5 pennants in a row.

Dimaggio was a bit of a jerk — see Cramer’s biography of him. But he was a leader on the team. Not a popular beloved guy like Mantle, but a leader nonetheless. See Halberstam’s book on the 1949 season.

PeterSep 17, 2012 @ 10:17:08

Corey

Maris sounds a lot like Paul O’Neill.

I read “Summer of ’49” but I didn’t read the Cramer biography of DiMaggio. I am not a fan of hagiographic works, but I need to have some sort of affection or interest in a person before I devote the time to read about them and I never had that with DiMaggio.

CoreySep 17, 2012 @ 10:28:31

Maris had more power and was a better fielder and baserunner than O’Neill. O’Neill hit for a much better average. Both were very intense, though I’d say that Maris was more of an inspirational figure for the team and frequently carried the team even with Mantle there. He won the MVP in back to back years: 1960 and 1961.

There’s a pretty good biography of Maris written by Glavin and Peary. Not hagiography, though the authors try to make the case that Maris was a great player who belongs in the Hall of Fame.

PeterSep 17, 2012 @ 10:33:25

I will pick that one up. I don’t think he is a HOF guy, his career was just too short.

I was there the day his number was retired. As I remember, he died the next year.